


The Way You Say Goodnight

by KanarandTarkaleanTea



Series: 69 Love Stories [5]
Category: Deep Dish Nine - Fandom, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-13
Updated: 2013-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-23 07:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KanarandTarkaleanTea/pseuds/KanarandTarkaleanTea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Julian hates saying goodnight to Garak, but loves the way he says it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way You Say Goodnight

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into the wonderful world of DD9- many thanks to the fantastic writers and creators of this fabulous AU. It is such a delight and I absolutely thrill to it!
> 
> With many thanks to tinsnip for suggesting I try writing a DD9 story (and for assuring me that it would be OK for an amateur like me to partake). I may have borrowed the idea of amusement park rides from her… :-)
> 
> This story contains a tip of the hat to my original OTP… Because every time I used to hear any Magnetic Fields song I would think of them… but now, when I read the lyrics, all I can think of is Garak.

  
The Way You Say Goodnight  
 _So faraway and so alone_  
 _How could I ever take you home?_  
 _You're beautiful, beautiful_  
 _You've got a devastating point of view_  
 _And everything you say is true_  
 _You're beautiful, beautiful_

…

  
 _I kiss you and the sun goes down_  
 _How come it's always dark when you're around?_  
 _You're beautiful, beautiful_  
 _The nightbirds start to sing_  
 _Their favorite song_  
 _The moon begins to sing_  
 _You're beautiful, beautiful_  
 _The stars begin their Busby Berkeley dance:_  
 _"The Way You Say Good-Night"_  
 _And the night becomes a musical extravaganza:_  
 _The Way You Say Good-Night_  
 _The way you say good-night_  
 _I dream of all day long_  
 _Oh, I could write a song_  
 _About the way you say good-night..._

It was later than he should have been out on a night before a chemistry exam, but when had something like that ever stopped him before? He allowed the sounds of the city to wash over him: the water from the fountain splashing, night birds singing their last songs for the evening, traffic, crickets… and Garak’s voice, lulling him into that happy place that he was growing more and more fond of each time they got together.

He tossed the crumbs from the chocolate croissant they had shared to the ground, and a couple of pigeons quickly flapped over. 

Garak’s words trailed off, and when Julian looked up, he noticed that the Cardassian was glaring at their new feathered companions. He couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on the older man’s face. 

“Let me guess; you don’t like pigeons.” 

“No one likes pigeons, Julian.” 

“I like pigeons.” 

Garak snorted. 

“Really. Everyone says they’re common — that they all look the same. But they don’t. Look at that one. He’s practically all white with just little bits of brown here and there. And that one. Sure, he’s mostly grey, but look at how his feathers get all rainbow-y when you look at them from the right angle.” 

“They’re rats with wings.” Garak fixed him with a stern glare, but the young man could see a smile being suppressed. 

Julian’s smile widened. “I like rats, too. They have cute noses.” 

The man at his side shook his head in disbelief, the corner of his lips curling upward. 

Julian nudged him with an elbow. “What?” 

A chuckle. “Nothing,” Garak said, but the young man continued to look at him expectantly. With a shrug, he continued. “It’s just that, with you, I think I could learn to like just about anything. Even pigeons.” Garak peeked up at him from the corner of his eye and Julian felt that familiar rush in his chest. The feeling that he only ever experienced in two situations: when he was standing in line for a roller coaster, and when he was with his friend. Anticipation, nervousness, and excitement. 

“It’s getting late, my dear. I think we’d best be going.” 

Julian nodded, brushing the last of the crumbs off his jeans and bouncing up from the bench. Garak followed at a slower pace, and with far more dignity. Once they were both standing, Julian reached out and entwined their fingers, pleased at the delighted expression on Garak’s face. 

It never ceased to amaze Julian at how surprised and happy Garak looked whenever they touched; as though each connection was some brand new experience, complete with a price tag. Julian found himself wondering how long it had been since Garak had been involved with someone, and couldn’t help but feel it must have been a very long time. With the distance he kept between himself and the world, how could anyone hope to penetrate his thick veneer? 

Yet for some reason that Julian wasn’t sure he’d ever understand, it had been so easy between the two of them. There had been almost an immediate connection. Not that there weren’t still moments when it felt that they were separated by light-years…

They wound their way through the park, past the playground equipment, past the fountain, past that strange couple feeding the ducks that they had seen on each of their trips to the park. The older of the two men was quite paunchy and looked like a bit of a bore. The younger man was dressed all in black, including black snakeskin boots, and was always wearing sunglasses no matter how dark it was. Julian smiled inwardly; seeing those two together made him and Garak look like a perfectly normal couple. Garak nodded to them and they nodded back. 

“Do you know them?” 

“No. But the older gentleman just opened a used book store not too far from here. Maybe you’d like to visit it with me sometime?” 

“Well, you know how I love a good used book store,” Julian said, and he felt Garak’s hand squeeze his. 

They were approaching the apartment building, and Julian felt the little twist in his gut he always got when their time together was coming to an end. It always went too quickly. Garak opened the door and held it for him. 

“Thanks for walking with me. I really needed a break from studying.” 

Garak smiled his quite, introverted smile. “It was my pleasure.” 

“Walk me to my door?” He saw Garak raise his eyebrows, but made no protest. 

Usually they parted in the lobby, or occasionally they’d go down to Garak’s apartment if he had a book to loan his young friend. Somehow it had become an unspoken understanding that Julian’s apartment existed in that realm of “something more”— a place that held both the possibility of dangers and delights. 

With each step up, Julian’s mind whirred more and more furiously… what was he thinking? What was the plan? But that was the problem: there _was_ no plan. He just hadn’t been quite ready to say goodnight, yet.

Just like being next in line for the roller coaster, there was that intense feeling, when you were standing on the precipice; that moment of no return. You either got on board or chickened out. It was exciting and fraught, and it was the way he felt every time he and Garak parted. 

Their hands still clasped, Garak pulled Julian’s hand up to his collar in that same gesture that he had performed on their first (no, second) date. And just as with the first time, the young man shivered at the intimacy of it. Garak’s icy blue eyes searched his face, hopeful. Julian swallowed, but it seemed his body was suddenly unable to produce any moisture in his mouth. He could feel the rapid beating of his heart, the sensation of panic. Garak’s shoulders sank — just a little. He smiled ruefully. 

“Good night, my dear,” Garak said in that soft, low tone of voice that made Julian’s insides tremble. Then Garak reached out and traced light fingertips along the side of the young man’s face. They were withdrawn quickly, but the sensation of the contact still tingled from the top of Julian’s eyebrow to his chin. With a little bow, the older man turned and headed down the stairs. 

Julian closed his eyes and groaned. Now he’d have to go back to the end of the line for the roller coaster. Inside his apartment, he tried to wrap his head around being alone again. He toed out of his sneakers and collapsed onto the ratty old couch. He could still feel the warmth from Garak’s hand on his, the tingling from where he had caressed his face, the smell of his spice-scented cologne and the buttery, chocolate flavor of the croissant. Julian closed his eyes, allowing his mind to linger over their evening before he tried valiantly to focus on his chemistry homework. 

He hated when their evenings ended. But with renewed resolve, he looked forward to the next time they were about to say goodnight. 

**Author's Note:**

> No claim is made on young doctors, hopeful tailors, pudgy angels, Bentley-driving demons, or wonderful music by The Magnetic Fields.
> 
> Apologies, as always, are made for typos!


End file.
